Beware the thigh-split

Gowns slashed almost to the hip were omnipresent at this year's Cannes, with Susan Sarandon -- at 70, the same age as the festival -- giving a masterclass in the genre when she turned up on opening night in a green velvet number that also made the most of her ample cleavage.

US actress Susan Sarandon poses as she arrives on May 17, 2017 for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP/Alberto Pizzoli )

But the dangers of the thigh-split were also on display, with US supermodel Bella Hadid repeatedly flashing her underwear due to the daring cut of her dress by Alexandre Vauthier.

US model Bella Hadid poses as she arrives on May 17, 2017 for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP/Alberto Pizzoli)

My skirt is bigger than yours

Big nights call for big dresses and there was many a full skirt on the red carpet, from R&B superstar Rihanna's vast white Dior number to Nicole Kidman's giant puffball skirt for "The Killing of a Sacred Deer".

Australian actress Nicole Kidman poses as she arrives on May 22, 2017 for the screening of the film 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP/Alberto Pizzoli)

But Bollywood queen Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stole the show in a pale blue ballroom gown so big it took a team of five assistants to help her up the stairs.

Tweetstorm dress

Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev set the internet alight with her choice of frock for the opening gala, emblazoned with the Jerusalem skyline, which she said was intended to mark 50 years since the city's "liberation and reunification" -- a view its Palestinian residents would dispute.

Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev wearing a dress featuring the old city of Jerusalem arrives on May 17, 2017 for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP/Antonin Thuillier)

Web users delighted in Photoshopping the image, with one redesigning it to feature the separation wall dividing Israel and the West Bank.

Read also: Winners at the 2017 Cannes film festival

Butch is back

Harder-edged looks made a comeback amongst all the frills this year, with "Mad Men" actress Elisabeth Moss and Uma Thurman both opting for leather jackets over their evening dresses.

US actress and President of the Un Certain Regard jury Uma Thurman poses as she arrives on May 18, 2017 for the screening of the film 'Barbara' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP/Alberto Pizzoli)

Kristen Stewart also premiered a butch new haircut, bleached and buzzed close to the scalp.

Director/Screenwriter Kristen Stewart poses as she arrives on May 20, 2017 for the screening of the film '120 Beats Per Minute (120 Battements Par Minute)' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP/Valery Hache)

Hair today, gone tomorrow

One new hairdo wasn't enough for Mexican actress Salma Hayek. She turned chameleon this week, showing off no less than three radically different styles in 24 hours, starting with pink-tinted curls one evening, a black bob the morning after and straight brown locks just hours after that.

Mexican-Lebanese actress Salma Hayek (L) and her husband French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault pose as they arrive on May 23, 2017 for the '70th Anniversary' ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP/Alberto Pizzoli)

That she ostensibly managed to grow out her fringe in the space of just a few hours was particularly impressive.

Age of the transparent jumpsuit

Less is more, apparently? This Cannes was marked by red carpet guests leaving the very minimum to the imagination. From the front, Portuguese model Sara Sampaio's lace dress for a premiere this week was a rather demure affair, but the back proudly displayed a thong for all to see.

Portuguese model Sara Sampaio poses as she arrives on May 22, 2017 for the screening of the film 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP/Valery Hache)

US model and Instagram queen Emily Ratajkowski also opted for lace with a jumpsuit by Norwegian designer Peter Dundas that relied on thicker parts of the fabric to cover her modesty.

US actress and model Emily Ratajkowski poses as she arrives on May 18, 2017 for the screening of the film 'Loveless' (Nelyubov) at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France.(AFP/Alberto Pizzoli)